In today’s photo you see a flat red wash around what will be a zebra. In my beginning college watercolor class, we all were required to master, on a minimum level, a variety of painting techniques. The hardest thing for me was making a streak free flat wash with a staining color. Red was the most difficult to work with. Some of my early failures were due to an inferior brand of paint or/and watercolor paper. Sometimes there is a flaw in the paper regardless of paper quality. That is something one can’t see until the surface is painted. Accidental fingerprints were also a culprit. It has always seemed like the cards are stacked against the perfect wash.
In today’s wash I achieved an almost perfect wash, except for a slight flaw in the 300 lb. cold press paper. Nevertheless I am satisfied with it. I have told you all this to remind those of you working in watercolor that only people who like challenges and unpredictability really appreciate this medium. When watercolors perform well, they can be breathtaking, even to the artist. When they don’t work, the paintings become teaching moments. Therefore watercolor paintings are always a win win.
On a more personal note, despite the fact that I know exactly how to produce a perfect flat wash with red paint, I stood over this drawing for about an hour. I had already created the exact shade of red in the quantity I needed, but played around with different brushes to use. I basically stalled until I reached a psychological place in which I no longer cared whether or not I succeeded. At that point I painted.
No comments:
Post a Comment